Display packages and boxes have long been the subject of development as evidenced by U.S. Pat. Nos. 476,765; 623,007; 1,403,869; 1,503,161; 1,930,347; 1,996,232; 4,105,112; 4,368,817; and 4,478,335.
Insofar as it pertains to the instant invention, U.S. Pat. No. 476,765 to G. P. Knapp consists of a box having hingedly-connected sections, the relative opening of which provides for the exhibition of an advertising card and moreover provides for the storage of individual packages. As will be shown hereinafter, the display package conceived by Knapp differs from the instant invention in a number of ways including, but not limited to, the location of the hinging between the sections and the purposes for which the different sections are intended.
W. S. Grange in U.S. Pat. No. 623,007 also reveals a box having a hingedly-connected top section, the purpose of which is quite different from that of the instant invention an which is not suitable to perform the purposes to which embodiments of the present invention may be put.
W. Reid in U.S. Pat. No. 1,403,869 reveals hingedly-connected sections and in particular a display box including a container and an outer telescopic member having its side walls severed and having perforations across the top near one end, whereby the upper portion of the outer member may be swung with respect to the lower portion to receive one end of the container for supporting the container in display condition. As will be seen hereinafter, this is substantially different from the purpose and construction envisaged in relation to the novel concept which has been developed.
In U.S. Pat. No. 1,503,161, G. Hornecker, shows a box having hingedly-connected sections which are intended to provide a simple and inexpensive box for point of display use. The box of this patent is adapted to advertise its contents and at the same time protect the contents against theft. It is also a purpose of the Hornecker invention to provide a construction which can be made from a one-piece blank. As will be shown in greater detail hereinbelow, the embodiments envisaged in accordance with the present invention are substantially different from what is shown in this particular patent.
H. C. Meyer shows in U.S. Pat. No. 1,930,347 a holder for recipe books and the like. While the top portion of the box is hinged in a manner somewhat similar to that of the present invention, the portion which moves hingedly forward from the box is intended to serve as an easel for a selected content of the box itself and the hinged portion swings forward to rest upon a corner in a manner unlike what is contemplated in accordance with the present invention.
J. K. Darragh in U.S. Pat. No. 1,996,232 reveals two hingedly-connected sections which are fashioned in a manner entirely different from that of the present invention. More particularly, this patent shows a slide box having a sleeve cover formed into parts comprising an easel and a band hingedly-connected and a drawer formed in two parts hingedly-connected to permit movement of a part of the drawer into a position over-lying the easel when in display position.
J. Graf in U.S. Pat. No. 4,105,112 shows a lockable box with a tray and cover hinged together at the open rear end of the cover and locked at their opposite ends. A pair of detent spring fingers extend upwardly from the end of the tray lock over shoulders within the unhinged end of the cover. Further provisions are made whereby to enable shipping materials back and forth from address to another and to provide a permanent lockable box and address plate which can easily be changed to facilitate shipment in both directions. As will be seen hereinafter, this purpose is quite different from that of the present application.
In U.S. Pat. No. 4,368,817, Louis Temesvary shows a unitary hinged box-type container for enclosing contents such as flexible disk packages including complementary top and bottom portions, connected by an intermediate hinge. The portions mate together to form an enclosed box in closed position and furthermore there is provided an open position locking device for securing the container in open position with the top portion rotated approximately 270.degree. about the hinge from the closed position. As will be seen, this is substantially different from what is contemplated within the scope of the present invention.
Jerry Long et al. reveal in U.S. Pat. No. 4,478,335 a diskette storage container formed of three molded plastic parts which are pivotally connected together. A substantially rectangular base member has upwardly rising side walls, a display operative in the bottom and cams adjacent the side walls. A cover member is pivotally connected to the base so that the rear edge of the cover passes into the base and rests at a slightly obtuse angle against the cams. As will be seen hereinbelow, this type of construction differs markedly from that of the present invention.